Favoritism
by StarWarrior72
Summary: A couple of months after Bespin Darth Vader has captured both of his children. What if one of them seems better than the other? Does he have enough love for both of them?  It gets better, I promise.  This is a redemption fic  eventually. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Leia was led up the stairs in chains. At the top she could see Darth Vader waiting for her. Luke knelt beside the dark lord, also in chains. Her best friend was gazing at her sadly and remorse filled his eyes. There were huge wounds in his side and arms, blood trickled into his eyes from a slash in his forehead.

On the last step Leia tripped and started to fall but was surprised to find herself in the arms of the dark lord.

"Do not look so surprised, Leia. Your brother snapped in torture. He told me all about you." Vader cupped her chin in his hand and made her look at him.

_My brother? I don't have a brother, and why did you call me by my first name?_ Suddenly Leia realized that Luke was crying quietly._ Luke?_

"Didn't he tell you?" At Leia's continued confusion Vader turned to Luke, "You have something to tell your sister, don't you?"

Vader tried to help Leia back to her feet but she pulled away and stood up herself. She walked over to her friend and knelt next to him.

Luke moaned softly, "Leia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. They made me." His voice was course and Leia put a hand gently on his shoulder.

"What did they get from you, Luke?"

Luke tried to push his tears away, "I told them that you were my sister."

"So you lied to them." Leia looked at her friend in confusion.

"No. It was true. I'm so sorry. And-and Vader already knew that I'm his son." Luke could no longer contain a sob.

Leia took him in her arms, gently rubbing his back and letting him cry. The motions were like clockwork and they came naturally._ My brother. Luke's my brother. And when Vader cut off his hand he seemed more emotionally scarred because that must have been when he found out... Oh, Luke, I'm sorry. You deserve better. _

She turned to Vader, "How could you do this to your own son? Look at him, you've torn him apart!"

"That scum may be my son, but he shows no trace of his mother. He is worth nothing to me. You, however, are very like her. You will be coming with me to my castle and you are the heir to the Empire." Vader turned to the guards and motioned to Luke, "Take him away."

Leia clung to her brother and stared up at the monster that claimed to be her father. "Why would I want your Empire? I hate everything about it!"

The guards stepped forward and took Luke from his sister's arms. As they dragged him away Luke just heard his sister reject what he would have given almost anything to have, a father.

Vader smiled at his daughter, "You are more like her than you know."

Two guards stepped forward and took Leia under the arms and helped her to her feet. As they marched her after her father Leia tried again to persuade him to help Luke. "Vader," Vader turned and looked at her questioningly, Leia swallowed and managed to force out, "Father, why won't you help Luke? He loves you so much. He looks up to you, at least he did when he thought that you had died a Jedi. Everything he has done he has done to be more like you! He needs you. What more could you want from a child?"

"The ability to love the child. As you have said yourself he is very like the Jedi I once was. That is unacceptable. Anakin was weak and pathetic. You have your mother's inner fire and passion. You are perfect, Luke is a mistake. If Luke was anyone else's son then he would be perfect."

"Is having the child love you important to you? Because if it is, it seems fair to warn you that _I don't_! And do you mean to tell me that you are mistreating him because of things he had no say in?"

"I hope that you will learn. "

Leia stopped in her tracks, "Help Luke. Help him or I swear that I will kill myself. And you too, if I get the chance."

Vader spun to glare at his daughter. He knew that the only way to keep her safe from herself would be to kill her himself and he couldn't do that. He glared at the trooper to his daughter's left and said, "Go. Get the scum and get him to my shuttle."

Leia smiled, perhaps living with Darth Vader wouldn't be such a bad thing. Inheriting the Empire, that was also an opportunity to turn it around.

The trooper was back in no time. He was carrying Luke like a sack of vegetables over his shoulder.

Leia moved forward to take her brother in her own arms, to help him walk, but their father spoke, "No Leia. Stay away from him. You will not be allowed near him. He will never see the light of day again. If you hurt yourself I will personally torture him until he dies. He will have no contact to living creatures, but he will be safe."

Luke sagged on the trooper's shoulder._ Why Father? What did I do wrong? I just want to be loved. I just want my family._

__

The trooper dropped Luke on the floor of a dark cell and turned back up the duracrete steps that were one of the two noticeable features in the room, the other was a door that presumably led to a small fresher.

Upstairs Luke could hear his father showing Leia her new home. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine that he was with her. He had had just the quickest glimpse of the place that, by all rights, should have been his home too.

He could sense his sister's happiness and something that seemed eerily like the same emotion from his father. It hurt him to know that he wasn't wanted as a part of that happiness but he was glad that they were happy. He curled up on the floor feeling his family's happiness and let it's warmth rock him to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Leia?_ Leia had been in the bed her father had given her for the time being. She sat up at the thought that was most certainly not hers.

_Luke?_

_Yes. How are you?_

_I'm doing all right. Are you OK?_

_I'll survive. Where does Father have you?_

_He gave me a spare room until he's had time to give me my own room. Where are you?_

_I'm in the basement. Show me your room. Just think it at me, the way you're doing with the words._

Leia tried to project her room to her brother.

_Nothing's coming through. Here, let me show you how._ Leia physically jumped back as a small dark room showed in her mind so vividly that it was as if she were in the room herself.

_That's where he's keeping you? Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry!_

_It's not so bad really, at least we can communicate. Show me your room._

Leia made another attempt, but this time she didn't really want him to get it and that didn't really help the strength of the attempt.

_You're not really trying._

_I am! It's hard, _Leia lied.

_If you don't want to show me you can just say that. How's he treating you?_

_He's being kind to me._

_Are you mad that I kept this a secret?_

Leia didn't answer right away, on one hand she was glad that Luke sought to protect her, but at the same time she did wish that she had known.

_You're happy here then? _Luke asked when she didn't respond.

_Well, yes. I wish that you were up here with us and I wish that I was still helping the Alliance, but Father needs me._

_You can even tolerate that he tortured you?_

Leia laughed, _He apologized for that about a dozen times today. He promised that he wouldn't have done it if he'd known. He said that he would never knowingly hurt his child._

Down in his cell, Luke looked sadly at his prosthetic arm. _I'm glad that he's being kind to you._

_I'm sure he'll come around, Luke. Sooner or later he's bound to realize that you're the perfect son._

_I wish I could believe that,_ Luke thought sadly. _He hates me, Leia. I have to accept that eventually, and the sooner, the better. As long as he treats you well I can bear whatever he does to me. Thank you for saving me from prison._

_I can hear Father coming, Luke._

Luke felt an immediate panic._ Don't tell him! Leia, promise you won't tell him!_

_All right, all right, I promise. I don't see why though, be wouldn't mind._ Leia became silent and Luke knew that their father had arrived in her room.

A clatter came from one of the corners of Luke's cell and he moved to see what it was._ Pet food. Wonderful, my father is feeding me pet food. They starved me at the prison though. I've heard pet food is quite nutritious. I guess it can't hurt._ He scooped a small handful out of the bowl and ate a couple of pieces._ Force, that stuff's flavourless._

He ate his pathetic meal in silence, trying to tell himself that he was going to be all right. Upstairs he could hear his father's footsteps and occasionally a voice. _Leia's happy, that's all that matters._

As the night wore on the cell got colder and colder until Luke was at the top of the stairs, curled against the door. There was just the tiniest hint of warmth from outside his cell and he could see a pair of feet occasionally. It made him feel just a bit closer to his father and sister.

After lying there for a few minutes he fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Luke was woken by the door swinging open and knocking him off the small platform. He landed on the duracrete floor with a moan and turned to look at the person who had opened the door. Staring back down at him was his father.

Vader marched down the stairs to where his son lay on the floor. Ignoring the child's small moan of protest, and the fact that he had just fallen about six feet onto a hard surface, he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into the air.

"What did you mean by disturbing my daughter, Rebel?" Vader snarled in Luke's face.

"I-I just wanted to know that she was happy." Luke couldn't breathe properly and now he was crying on top of that. He couldn't believe that Leia had broken her promise.

Vader snarled again and started to drag Luke up the stairs out of his cell, "You convinced my daughter to hide something from me and you disturbed her sleep."

Luke choked and tried to get his feet under him so he could breathe, "If she didn't tell you then how did you find out?"

"You thought I couldn't hear your stupid conversation? You made Leia ashamed of what I've given her."

Luke twisted, trying, again, to get his feet under him, "Please, Father, you're hurting me."

"You think this is pain? I haven't even started yet."

He gave up trying to get his feet under him. All it was doing was pulling his collar deeper into his neck.

Finally, Vader dropped him in a small cell in the kitchen. Luke looked around and thought, _If keeping me up here is my punishment it's more like a privilege._ A door in the corner of the cell opened and an interrogation droid hovered out._ Except that._

"My daughter must see what will happen to you if the two of you establish communications again." He motioned to the droid and it fell still in midair. Vader stalked away to get his daughter.

Luke curled up on the floor and started to cry. Everything was going wrong. It seemed his father was determined to rob him of everything he loved.

He heard foot falls and looked up to see his father leading his sister over to him. Both wore masks that covered only their mouths and noses and Luke stared at his father's face.

Leading his daughter into Luke's cell he laughed at Luke's horror, "Disgusting, isn't it? You wouldn't think a Jedi capable of such cruelty."

Luke shook his head mutely.

"Especially not your beloved Kenobi. You must have thought me such a terrible monster when I killed him. But isn't it worse to do this to a man?" Vader gestured his disfigurements.

Luke shivered. He looked at his sister and a terrible thought occurred to him, "I see why you wear the mask, but what about her? Did you hurt her?"

"Of course not, but it is an uncomfortable feeling to be getting too much oxygen. As she told you, I would never knowingly hurt my own child. Not one I cared about anyway." Vader kicked Luke's prosthetic arm and Luke saw Leia's eyes go wide with horror.

_Luke, I never meant to imply… oh, Luke._

_It's all right, Leia, I know you didn't._

"Don't you dare try to make her feel better! How dare you even speak to her?" Vader's fury flew around Luke. "You have no respect for my family and you are tearing my daughter away! The consequences for this will not be an enjoyable experience for you, but I think that I'll find pleasure in it."

Luke didn't bother to point out that it was his birthright to be part of his own family. He knew his father wouldn't listen. He just watched as his father moved to the far wall and turned a dial. Suddenly Luke started having trouble breathing. He would take a breath and when he tried to exhale not enough air would go out. Then he'd try to breathe in and choke on the breath.

"I told you not to disobey me," Vader laughed, kneeling next to his terrified son. He took of his mask, "This is what I need all the time, just to breathe. Your Jedi did this to me. You are the only of their kind left to punish."

One of Vader's hands darted out, hitting Luke in the chest. A blow made more powerful by the metal hand that delivered it. Luke curled back into a ball with a moan. Leia gave a little whimper and turned away.

Again Vader hit the boy, this time on the lower back. Luke involuntarily twitched into an open position on the floor, tears running down his cheeks.

Leia screamed, "Stop! Father, you're hurting him!"

Vader stood up from his victim, "And you can sense it. Of course. I'm sorry." He knelt back down to his son and grabbed the boy's head in both hands.

Luke whimpered, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, it's nothing. This won't hurt a bit. At least not physically." Vader closed his eyes and Luke screamed.

"What did you do to him?" Leia jumped up and tried to run to her brother.

"He won't trouble you through the Force anymore, Princess." Vader smiled coldly down at the child in front of him. Luke was curled in a tiny ball on the floor, sobbing. "It's scary isn't it? You can feel the whole galaxy, you're part of the whole galaxy, and then it just stops. Reach out to Leia now, Scum."

Luke tried. He tried to pull the Force around himself. Nothing came. "Please, give it back. I'll train. I'll do anything you want me to."

Vader leered at the boy, "Oh, I don't want you anymore. You had your chance to be my apprentice. I will find someone better." Vader hit Luke again and he doubled up in pain.

Luke lay on the floor whimpering and waiting for the next blow. It didn't come. When he looked up to see why not he was horrified to see Vader retrieving a bag of ancient torture devices. Terrified he watched as his father pulled out a rope.

_A rope? What kind of torture device is a rope? I remember reading about hangings, but that was an execution method, not a torture method._

Vader came over to his son and grabbed his arm. Rolling the boy over he started to tie one of his ankles. He moved the rope around Luke's neck so that his right leg was pulled up against his back, making him whimper, and the rope dangled down in front of him. Vader tied the other end to his son's left ankle and sat back to watch the child struggle to get out of the painful position he was in.

Leia forced herself to watch her beloved brother struggle for almost five minutes before tapping her father's shoulder, "Please, let him go. He's going to kill himself if you leave him like that.

Vader continued to watch his son squirming, "He won't kill himself. I made sure of that. I suppose you don't want to watch?"

Leia felt a tear run down her cheek, "Of course I don't! You may not see him as part of the family, but I do!"

Vader stood, turning his back on the boy, "Come on then." He slipped his mask back on and took Leia's arm.

As he led her out of the cell she said, "What about Luke? You're not going to just leave him like that are you?"

"I am. Just because you don't want to see him being hurt doesn't mean that I'm going to stop hurting him."

Vader finished showing Leia to her room and went back down to Luke's cell. Luke lay on the floor, still tied up and struggling. Vader watched the boy squirming and crying for a few minutes until he grew bored with this variation of torture.

He knelt down next to the boy and took out a knife. None-too-carefully he cut the boy's bonds and his ankles too. Luke fell to the floor crying and rubbing his neck, which had an impressive rope burn from his struggle.

"That hurt, didn't it?"

Luke just moaned in response.

Vader moved back to his bag of torture devices and pulled out a whip.

"Shirt off." Vader commanded, cracking the whip on Luke's cheek. Vader grinned sadistically as Luke's tiny hands started to fumble with the buttons. As the shirt fell to the floor Luke felt the first lash of the whip.

Tears stung Luke's eyes with each lash. Finally, though, Vader relented and put the whip down. Moving close to his son he gently took the boy in his arms and carefully rocked him, "That hurt a lot didn't it?"

Luke whimpered and pressed closer to his father, unquestioning of the sudden kindness.

"I asked if that hurt." Vader's voice had hardened a bit, but he was still comforting his son.

"Yes."

Vader dropped the child, "This is going to hurt even more." He gestured to the interrogation droid that hovered patiently in the corner and it flew over.

Luke let out another whimper before the droid arrived and all he could do was scream. The entire time he was being tortured his helpless gaze locked on to his father who watched, uncaring.


	4. Chapter 4

Luke passed out the moment the adrenaline injections wore off and when he came to he was back in his cell. Judging from the ache in his back his father had decided to save the time it would have taken to come down the stairs and simply thrown him in.

He looked around his cell and dragged himself to what he calculated to be the second-warmest place, after the door which had already proven to be more painful than it was worth. He heard the clacking of food into the food dish, but he ignored it, _maybe it's linked to some kind of monitor. Maybe it'll tell Father that I'm not eating. He might even find it in his heart to care a bit. Or Leia might notice. I know that she'd care._

_I guess I'll be here a while. I wonder if there's anything to do down here. _Luke took another look around the cell and decided that there wasn't. Suddenly the door opened and a humanoid alien stepped out. Luke thought that it was a togruta, but he wasn't quite sure.

The alien walked over to him, "Hello, who are you?"

Luke started to try to pull away and the alien knelt down next to him. Worry filled her large, blue eyes, "I don't want to hurt you. I'm a prisoner here too. Please don't be afraid of me, it's so nice to see another living thing."

Luke stopped trying to squirm away, he'd come up against a wall anyway, "My name's Luke."

She smiled, "My name is Ahsoka Tano. It's nice to meet you Luke… I don't suppose you've got a last name, Luke?"

Luke turned away slightly, "I'm not really sure. My father doesn't want me and he doesn't use the name I've been using anymore. I don't know what my mother's maiden name was."

Ahsoka drew him into a hug, much to his surprise. Her touch was gentle and she smelled comfortingly of soap. "I'm sorry to hear that Luke. I never knew my parents if it makes you feel any better."

Luke leaned against her and she gently stroked his hair. He didn't want her to let go. He just wanted to stay in her warm arms forever. When she held him it reminded him of how his aunt had when he was upset.

"What did you do to make Vader mad?"

Luke didn't want to answer, but she had been completely honest with him. At least he thought she had, without the Force he couldn't be quite sure. He couldn't say it out loud but he could imply it, "You remember how I said my father hates me?"

Ahsoka became completely still and Luke was afraid that she was about to reject him, just because of who his father was. "Oh, Luke, you can't mean…"

Luke nodded and the gentle caresses recommenced. He felt tears on his cheeks and he clung to the woman. "Thank you for forgiving me. I don't want to be alone down here."

"I would have shown myself last night but I wanted to give you a day or two to get used to being down here. I guess I should have come out and outlined the rules of being here. What did you do to get punished like this?"

"I contacted my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes, her name is Leia. She's upstairs."

"What do you mean? Is Vader torturing her?"

Luke shook his head, "No. He said that she's like our mother, perfect. He told me that I was like he used to be, pathetic. I wish that he loved me. He means everything to me."

Ahsoka laid him back on the floor, "You look like him too." She gently traced Luke's cheekbone. "Who was your mother?"

Luke shook his head sadly, "I don't even know."

Ahsoka sat back on her heels, "I'll bet she was Padme Amidala. Anakin always acted differently around her."

"What did you do to make Father mad?"

"Oh, I didn't so much make him mad as I made him happy back when he was Anakin. He was my Jedi master. I never thought this would happen. We used to be so close. I miss Anakin."

"Tell me about Anakin." Luke tried to make it seem like it didn't really matter to him, but he didn't do a very good job of it.

Ahsoka crossed her legs and rested Luke's head on her lap, "He was tall, that's about the only thing you can still see about him. He had blue eyes and dark blond hair. He was very kind, but sometimes he would forget himself if something offended him."

Luke closed his eyes and tried to imagine Anakin. He found himself crying again. Ahsoka stopped speaking and gathered him in her arms again. Luke pressed closer to her.

After a while of sitting together Ahsoka stood up and asked Luke, "Would you like a blanket?"

Luke nodded glad that he wouldn't spend another night shivering in the corner of his cell. Ahsoka slipped back through the door and came back with a threadbare blanket that she wrapped carefully around Luke. He mumbled his thanks and curled up in a ball. Ahsoka slipped back to her own cell, taking one look over her shoulder at her old master's son.

As Luke fell asleep his last thoughts were, _So you didn't leave me quite alone. Thank you Father._


	5. Chapter 5

Darth Vader stared at the stars and thought about his children. Perhaps Luke really would be worth the effort it would take to accept him. The boy was full of love and perhaps he was smart enough to handle that. Vader looked up as he heard his daughter coming down the stairs.

He couldn't help smiling a bit as he saw her, it was fairly early morning and she had brushed her hair, but hadn't had the time to style it. It hung down either side of her head in pigtails. She arrived at the bottom of the stairs and marched over to her father.

"You really hurt Luke last night didn't you?" she looked very angry, which was much at odds with her childish hair style.

"He got what he deserved." Vader returned his attention to the window.

"For what? Wanting to protect me and caring what happened to me?"

"For disturbing you. It's your right to be happy here, with your father."

"Doesn't he have that right too?"

"What do you mean?" Vader glared at her.

"I mean that you are his father too. He loves you so much. You should go down there right now and apologize. Then you would see what you mean to him."

"And I would hurt him again when I returned to honesty."

"Maybe your feelings on this would be changed."

"I doubt it. Remember when I reclaimed you? And how Luke knelt beside me with his wounds?"

"Yes."

"I didn't give him those wounds. He had those before. He told me about you willingly. I simply told him that I would take him in and love him if he told me everything he knew about the Alliance. He started to cry and he moaned that he couldn't tell me that, but he said that he did have some other information I'd find interesting. He trusted me to care for him if he told me that one secret. He didn't even ask me to promise. Then he told me about you. He was too ashamed to tell you. He let you believe that I'd tortured the information out of him. He lied to you."

"You monster! Luke trusted you with all his heart and you just let him down. He was terrified. He had every right to lie to me. He knew that he'd betrayed me and that I might act irrationally. He didn't want me to hate him! Family means more than anything else to him. I can understand that he didn't want to lose me too. Then again, he never really had you, did he?"

"I never accepted that scum as my son. He had no right to lie to you. He had betrayed you and he would have you down in that cell if it would mean that he was free."

"That's a lie. I'm going down to him to comfort him and if you try to hurt him for it I will be in your way at every turn." She spun and started towards the stairs that led to her brother's cell.

Vader caught her with the Force, "Do you really want to expose yourself to that scum? I don't want you tainted. You are perfect like your mother was. He is scum like I was. Knowing me killed Padme. Don't make the same mistakes she made, Leia."

Leia stared at her father, "I'm sorry, let me get this straight. You're telling me not to talk to my brother as a form of protecting my dead mother from someone who no longer exists?"

"No, Leia. I'm trying to protect you from falling into the same trap your mother did. I never deserved her love and that rebel never deserved yours."

Leia spun to face her father, "He has a name, you know!"

"He doesn't deserve to go by the name his mother chose for her son! He is nothing like her and he has no right to call her his mother!"

"Is that what this is about? You think that you deserve to be imprisoned and because Luke exhibits some of your characteristics you think he deserves to be imprisoned too! Have you taken a moment to think which of your old characteristics he shares? He's loyal, determined, loving, gentle, forgiving, and protective to a fault! Luke's the best brother and the best son anyone in the galaxy could possibly wish for!"

"My _loyalty_ turned me to the dark side, my _determination_ resulted in the deaths of thousands, my_ love_ and my _protectiveness_ killed Padme, my _gentleness _and my _forgiving_ nature prevented me from killing Palpatine. Those characteristics have been the downfall of the galaxy!"

"Are you saying that you are sorry for what you've done?" Leia turned to her father in surprise.

"I'm saying that I'm not proud of what I've done. The most I can do to reverse it, though, is to avoid Luke following in my footsteps! You're right, he is a great person, but I was too, once, and look at me now!"

"Don't you think that Luke deserves a chance? You had one and you blew it, but that doesn't mean that Luke would. If you have made the mistakes that have destroyed the galaxy then why are you walking around free while an innocent boy, who has the misfortune of sharing a few of your characteristics, is looked up for your crimes?"

Vader stared at his daughter as the whole argument suddenly sank in, "You're right. Go and get Luke."

"Get him yourself and he'll have more reason to trust you."

"I don't want him to trust me. I don't want him to love me. He has every right to be free and without my influence."

Leia stomped her foot, "You're not listening! I'm not saying that Luke only deserves to be free, I'm saying that he deserves you."

"If we are together I will influence him."

"And he wants that! He wants you to just try to be his 'Daddy'. If you think that he's doing the wrong thing you just have to tell him that, as long as it's reasonable he'll listen."

"Skywalkers tend to have a different idea of 'reasonable'."

"Well, then, let's hope that the whole family shares it most of the time."

Vader gave his daughter a long hard stare and when she didn't back down he started towards Luke's cell. Leia smiled at his retreating back and followed him.

When Vader opened the door Luke's eyes opened and he stared at the wall in terror. He was like a small child, afraid of the monster in the closet, half believing that if he didn't move it wouldn't see him. As he heard his father coming down the steps he started to shiver uncontrollably. By the time his father carefully rolled him over there were tears on his cheeks.

He didn't know what Vader had decided that he'd done wrong this time, but he was sure that it was bad if it was enough to merit a visit from the Dark Lord.

He was both relieved and horrified when he saw his sister behind Vader, a small smile on her face. After she had watched Vader awkwardly holding his child for a few moments she slipped past him and reached out to Luke. Knowing what his father would do to him if he allowed her to touch his he shrank away. She reached down and carefully took him out of Vader's arms. Vader didn't react, so Luke didn't resist.

Holding her brother, Leia wanted to cry, there were marks of cruel torture all over his little body and he was terribly thin. Logically she knew that most of the wounds had been from torture when he was in prison, but she couldn't help feeling that each one was their father's fault.

Vader watched his children in awe. Neither one had said anything, but they both seemed so comforted by mere physical proximity. While at first Luke had been shivering and ridged he was now limp and relaxed in his sister's arms. Leia was gently combing his matted hair through her fingers and tears glistened at the corners of her eyes as if his pain were her own._ I should never have separated them. They are like two halves of an engine, without one another they are nothing._


	6. Chapter 6

When Ahsoka entered the room her jaw dropped. Sitting on the floor was a small family, Luke, Vader, and Leia.

After staring for a few moments at the group of them holding each other she managed to speak, "Ok, either I've missed something or there's a huge misunderstanding here. Last I heard Vader didn't care about anybody and he especially hated Luke, Leia loved Luke but Vader wouldn't let her help him, and Luke loved Vader despite everything. What'd I miss?"

Vader turned away from his family for a moment to answer his previous apprentice, "Life's confusing, isn't it Snips?"

"I'll say." Ahsoka walked over and carefully slipped her arms around Luke. Vader put his arms around her and, in confusion as to the new arrival, but seeing her reception by her family, Leia opened the circle for her too.

Luke lay in the centre of their strange circle of love and acceptance and he knew that his father cared, that he would never just push them all away. And he knew, most importantly, that there was a reason for all that Vader done.

Finally Vader reached out and took his son from Ahsoka. Luke's arms slipped around his neck and the boy hung there. Vader carefully supported his son to alleviate the strain from Luke's thin, fragile seeming arms.

Ahsoka stood too, "Err, what's going to happen to me now?"

Vader turned back, "You will be joining the rest of us upstairs." He motioned to the other two members of their strange little family and they followed him up the stairs.

Luke lay in his father's arms, looking over the older man's shoulder at his twin and the other who was already family, though Luke couldn't really place her as any particular member. She was too old to be his sister, too young to be his aunt. Maybe she could be compared to a cousin.

He sighed, she didn't need to be pinned and labeled like a bug. She was Ahsoka Tano. No more and no less. She was Ahsoka Tano and she was someone he could count on.

At his son's sigh, Vader gently repositioned his tiny body. Luke mumbled something he couldn't make out and fell silent again. He had been awfully rough on the child, he now realized. Luke was cut all over, that had been largely his first captor's fault, but the rope burns and whip marks were Vader's fault and he knew it.

Ahsoka was gaping around at everything, but she still saw Vader's small, comforting movements._ Skyguy hasn't really died. He's just different now than he was before. Well, once he gets over this he's not going to get the chance to forget it._

Leia stared at the togruta girl, "Who are you?"

The alien turned and held out one hand, "My name is Ahsoka Tano, you must be Leia."

Leia took her outstretched hand, "Yes, how did you know my name?"

"Your brother talked about you. He really loves you, you know."

"I know." Leia looked after her brother. He had rested his head on their father's shoulder and his eyes were closed. His thin arms where hanging down Vader's back. All in all, the boy seemed completely trusting, which was probably an accurate impression.

As they entered the spare room Leia had slept in the night before Vader carefully laid his son on the bed. He smiled at the child's expression. All the worry and pain in his life were smoothed out of his small face in sleep. As he pulled the blankets up to Luke's ears he succumbed to the temptation to brush his son's hair out of his eyes.

Luke's wide blue eyes opened and one of his hands reached up to grasp his father's glove. Vader moved his other hand to surround the child's.

Leia shifted her balance awkwardly, "Hey, Ahsoka, can I show you to the kitchen? You must be starving."

Ahsoka nodded, she was glad of the excuse to escape this rather embarrassing and private moment.

Vader didn't even notice them leaving, his attention was fully focused on his son. Luke was still half asleep and the small hand with which he griped his father's was loose. His smile as he looked at his father's mask and took in the caring body language was as bright as any Vader had ever seen.

"Father." Luke pulled his father's hand down to his cheek and pressed close against it.

Vader slipped one hand out of his son's and gently caressed his hollow cheek. "Yes, Luke. Father's here now. It's going to be all right now. Everything is going to be all right."

Luke nodded and started to fall asleep. Vader smiled at the small form and wished that he could kiss his son goodnight.

Down in the kitchen Leia was starting to prepare some food for her brother's alien protector. "So your name's Ahsoka, but beside that I know nothing about who you are."

Ahsoka perched on a tall stool, "I was your father's apprentice before you were born. When he was still a Jedi."

Leia nodded and brought her a plate of re-heated food. She heated up a bit of food as her own lunch and sat down next to Ahsoka. "And?"

"What do you mean 'and'?"

"Now I know your name and what you were 18 years ago. That's not a lot of information."

"I've been a prisoner ever since. That's just about all there is to know about me. Your dad calls me 'Snips' and I call him Skyguy."

"Oh." Leia continued to eat and Ahsoka continued too.


	7. Chapter 7

Luke was curled under the blankets still when Vader came to say goodbye. The child was staring around his room and shivering slightly. Vader grabbed an extra blanket and wrapped it around his son.

"Luke, there's something very important I have to do. The events of the last few days have sorted me out a bit. Your unconditional love and Leia's dedication to you, how Ahsoka trusted you and protected you despite what I'd done to her. Have you ever had an epiphany, Luke?"

Luke shook his head.

"I think I have. Everything just sort of hit me at once. I have a job to do and I'm not sure I can do it. I have to destroy the Emperor. I love you Luke. I just wanted to say goodbye, in case it doesn't work. I'm taking Snips. Your sister is staying with you." Anakin smiled, "Much to her dismay."

Tears started to run down Luke's cheeks, but he knew his father was right. "I love you too, Father. If I can do anything to help…"

"You're staying here. If you want to help, just keep your love close to the surface and I'll remember what I have to lose, or gain."

Luke nodded again, "Father, in my time with Ben he taught me a bit. There was one thing he said I had a real talent for that surprised me. Healing." He pressed one hand to his father's chest, over his heart, and poured in all the love he had.

Anakin jumped at the sudden flow of healing energy from his boy. "Luke, that's incredible! How can you do that?"

"I just gave you my love." Luke shrugged innocently.

"That's remarkable. Does your sister share this power?"

"I don't know."

"Luke, do you think that you could do that again?"

"I think so."

Anakin moved his son's hand down and to the right, "Would you do that again, please?"

Again Luke poured the healing energy deep into his father. Luke and Anakin continued until all of Anakin's wounds had been healed.

Anakin reached up and took off his helmet so that his son could get to the huge scar on his head. Luke sat up and kissed his father's head and Anakin laughed, "I'd heard that love was the most powerful thing in the galaxy, but I don't think I really believed it until now."

Luke pressed against his father's chest, "I knew it was true. You can survive without this suit now?"

"Yes. I think you just healed everything. And you reminded me of a power I haven't used much since I turned to the Dark Side. Roll over."

Luke did as he was told, exposing his tattered back.

"I'm not half as good at this as you are, but this should make you feel better." Anakin tried to pour healing into Luke, but all he managed was a gentle trickle. When Luke's wounds were healed Anakin pulled back and rolled his son onto his back the boy didn't flinch.

Anakin stroked his son's hair out of his eyes. "Do you feel better now?"

Luke nodded.

"Thank you, Luke. You just helped more than you know." Anakin drew his son into his arms one more time, "Would you like to be downstairs with your sister or up here?"

"I'd like to be with Leia, please."

Anakin slipped over to his own room and pulled on one of his old tunics. He came back to his son and carried him back down stairs. Anakin laid his son on a sofa and turned to Ahsoka, "We may as well get going."

Leia ran into her father's arms and he swept her up and spun her in a circle. Leia laughed and clung to his wrists. As he lowered her to the ground he kissed her forehead. She kissed his cheek and slipped over to her brother.

Ahsoka joined her master, "What happened? You were so badly wounded."

Anakin smiled, "You know a certain Force talent we both lack? Luke has it."

Ahsoka gaped at the boy on the sofa, "You had this much power?"

"Yeah," Luke smiled. "It made me really tired, though." He spoke through a huge yawn.

Anakin smiled and tightened the blankets around his son. "Goodnight, Luke."

"May the Force be with you." Luke kissed the hand Anakin was using to tuck him in. Leia echoed her brother.

Anakin stood and led Ahsoka out of the room, praying his children hadn't seen the tears on his cheeks.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you gonna be OK, Skyguy?" Ahsoka put her hand on her master's shoulder. Anakin was staring out the viewport at his home.

"I'll be fine. I just worry what'd happen to the twins if this doesn't go right." Anakin reached out in the Force, felt his children's warm presences and smiled.

"Oh, they can take care of themselves. We should get going or we'll lose the element of surprise."

Anakin nodded. "Well, this is where the fun begins, right?"

"Right. Just as soon as I'm sure a hurricane couldn't get me out of this seat."

"My flying's not that bad."

"I don't know what your idea of 'that bad' is, but I don't want to find out." Ahsoka tested the crash webbing.

"Snippy." Anakin was mostly focused on getting the ship ready for takeoff.

"My name is _Snips_, Master, not snippy."

"You know what I mean." They took off and again Anakin became transfixed on his home where his children waited for his return.

"Hey! Master! Your piloting is scary enough when you're paying attention."

"Thank you for your confidence." Anakin smiled sarcastically.

"My pleasure, as always." Ahsoka saluted mockingly.

Anakin swatted her playfully and they were off.

Soaring over the skyline of Coruscant, Ahsoka gazed down in wonder.

"Wow, it's great to be out again. Look at it. It's hardly changed at all."

"Well, you can't see the differences from up here. They are there, believe me." Anakin set the coordinates for the imperial palace, "Are you ready, Snips?"

"Have I even not been ready to kick a bad guy's butt? Let's do this." Ahsoka was already unstrapping the crash webbing.

"You put that on before I started the engines, but you're taking it off before we land? The part that it was designed to protect you from?"

"Master, I can never be quite sure what kind of ship you'll choose. I was ready for another ship like _Twilight_, which always took off funny."

"And landed at an angle with a bit of a bump the first few times."

"Yes, but I'm fairly sure that this one is space-worthy. Either that or you really can fly anything."

Anakin rolled his eyes at his apprentice and set the ship down at the palace.

They sipped out of the ship, not bothering to hide themselves, and ran across the landing platform to the nearest door. Anakin led his apprentice inside and up the stairs towards the Emperor's chambers.

"Hey! Skyguy, are you even sure he's in there?" Ahsoka called as quietly as she could.

"Of course I am. Does the word 'quiet' mean anything to you?" Anakin called over his shoulder.

"More than it does to you."

"Then shut up!"

Ahsoka recoiled at her best friend's reaction. Anakin pretended not to notice, but his heart seized up. Ahsoka felt it and knew that he hadn't meant his words and angry tone.

They ran down endless empty corridors and through massive halls. Anakin felt more free than he had in years. He felt like he was seeing everything for the first time. Every corner and shadow was a thousand times clearer than it had been through his mask, vision enhancements of not.

"That's the door to his quarters. He's sleeping, but don't let your guard down."

"I never do! Why are you so worried about tiny details all of a sudden?"

"They happen to be important tiny details, you know."

"You never used to find them so important."

"I didn't have someone who needed me to get home in one piece then."

"You had Padme."

"Padme wouldn't have died if I hadn't made it back. Look, Ahsoka, if we screw this up, Luke and Leia will be alone in a galaxy where my master wants to kill them and the Alliance won't help them. They would be completely helpless."

Ahsoka nodded, "I get it. All the more reason for this to work then, we always did work better under pressure."

"Pressure's on then." Anakin forced a smile and led the way into his master's room.

The Emperor slept through the attack. He went from asleep to dead without even realizing he was in danger.

"Goodbye, Master. I won't need this anymore." Anakin tossed his red lightsaber into the heap of robes that was all that remained of his Sith master.

"That seemed awfully easy, Skyguy. Are you sure he's dead?"

"If you want to touch that filthy carcass to see if you can find a pulse, be my guest. He told me once about his Sith master and how he killed him while he slept. What goes around comes around, right?"

"Right." Ahsoka was still a bit nervous but she knew that if her master thought that the Emperor was dead he was probably right.

Anakin stood from his master's limp body and started back to their ship. "Call the Alliance, Snips."

"Yes, Sir!" Ahsoka saluted playfully. She pulled out her comlink and made the call.

Anakin ran up the docking ramp, eager to return to his children. Ahsoka raced after him, but she didn't manage to make it into a chair before the ship jumped into the air.

She flew into a wall and dragged herself back to the ground. Clutching her bruised side she limped into the cockpit, "That's why I like to be practically a part of the chair before you take off."

Anakin grinned at her sheepishly, "Sorry about that, Snips. I just want to get back to Luke and Leia."

"You got overprotective awfully fast."

"I'm not being overprotective. This is just new to me and I want to be with them as much as possible."

"Whatever you say." Ahsoka finished chaining herself into the co-pilot's chair.

As the ship touched down Anakin saw the figure of one of his children run out onto the platform.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

"What is it, Skyguy?"

"That's Luke." Anakin undid the crash webbing as quickly as he could and ran out of the cockpit. He raced down the ramp and out to his son. Luke was crying and Anakin scooped him up in his arms.

"Dad! Oh, Dad, I was so scared you wouldn't come back." Luke pressed his face against his father's neck, breathing in his comforting scent.

Anakin rubbed his son's back, "It's all right, Luke. It's OK."

Ahsoka followed Anakin down the ramp and walked up to the castle, not wanting to disturb her friend's personal moment.

Anakin carried his son carefully back to the kitchen. Leia was curled up on the sofa, asleep. It was clear that she had fallen asleep with her head on her brother.

"I just couldn't wake her," Luke muttered in his father's ear.

"Of course not." Anakin sat at the table and rested his son on his lap like a toddler.

Luke fell asleep in his father's arms. Anakin had carried his son up to the boy's room before he realized that Luke had something akin to a death grip on his neck. Reaching out in the Force he gently moved his son's hands apart. Luke fell back onto the mattress, a small but perfect smile on his face.

"Goodnight, Luke. You really are the perfect son. I should have seen it from the first. I love you and your sister. I'll protect both of you with my life. Tomorrow we'll be rejoining the Alliance. Nothing will ever separate us. Sweet dreams." Anakin kissed his sleeping son's forehead and he swore he saw him smile at his father's promises.


End file.
